Cloth-measuring device.



C. M. THOMPSON.

CLOTH MEASURING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 1111111.26, 191s.

1,100,629. Patented June 16, 1914.v

CHARLES M. THOMPSON, OF YELLOW PINE, LOUISIANA.

CLOTH-MEASURING DEVICE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed March 26, 1913. Serial No. 756,960

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES M. THOMP- soN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Yellow Pine, in the parish ofW'ebster and State of Louisiana, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Cloth-Measuring Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a measuring device for use in measuring offdifferent lengths of cloth or other material during the act of vendingthe same from a cabinet or display rack, the primary object thereofbeing to design a device of this character which is adapted especiallyfor use in connection with the cloth cabinet disclosed in my priorapplication, Serial No. 706,004, filed June 26, 1912, or for use inconnection with any other cabinet, wherein a plurality of relativelyspaced roll-holders are provided and it is desirable to employ onemeasuring tape for measuring the cloth vended from one of the rolls.

A further object is to provide a measuring device of the class describedwhich is simple in construction, and which may be readily applied to anyform of cloth cabinet or display device wherein the rolls of cloth areadapted to be vended from relatively spaced roll holders, for eiiicientuse in connection with either roll.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cloth cabinet, showing the measuringdevice applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cabinet,showing the tape extended for use in measuring the cloth being withdrawnfrom one of the rolls; and, Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view takenthrough the holding block for the measuring tape.

In the accompanying figures of drawing, I have shown the measuringattachment applied to a cloth cabinet 1, wherein a plurality ofsuperimposed, relatively spaced roll-holders 2 are mounted between theside walls 3 and 4, a guide bar 5 being mounted in front of eachroll-holder for use in connection with a knife or other cuttingimplement (not shown) during the act of severing cloth from thatparticular roll. I desire to have it understood, however, that I do notnecessarily limit the use of my measuring device to a cloth cabinet ofthis nature, but that I may employ the device in connection with a framehaving -a plurality of reels mounted thereon in spaced relation forvending rope or twine, or that I may use the same in connection with anyform of vending device, wherein it is necessary to use a tape measure ata plurality of spaced points.

In the present instance, I have mounted a vertically extending rod 6upon the outer face of the-side wall 3 of the cloth cabinet in thebrackets 7 and 8 provided for the purpose adjacent the front edge of thesaid wall. A holding block 9 is mounted upon the rod 6 for verticalsliding movement and for horizontal oscillation thereon by means of theeye bolts 10 which are attached to the inner edge of the said block andreceive the rod 6. A spring tape holder 11 is mounted within a recess 12provided in the block 9 so that the tape opening 13 therein is incommunication with the outer edge of the block. The tape holder is ofthe particular type wherein a central, laterally extending pin isadapted to be pressed so as to cause the tape to be retracted within theholder after being withdrawn for use. This tape holder is so positionedwithin the recess 12 of the block 0 that the actuating pin 14 is adaptedto contact with the wall 3 of the cabinet when the block is pressedinwardly against the same.

A plurality of supporting pins 15 are mounted upon the outer face of thecabinet wall 3 in superimposed relation to each other between the rod 6and the front edge of the wall, each pin being disposed adjacent the endof one of the roll holders 2 at such a distance below the correspondingguide bar 5 that the tape opening 13 of the tape holder will be indirect horizontal alinement with the upper active edge 16 of the guidebar, when the sliding block is supported by the said pin with its loweredge in engagement therewith. Each pin 15 is provided at its outer endwith an upwardly projecting extension for limiting e11- gagement withinthe notch provided in the outer side face of the block 9 when supportedby the same, this extension of the pin beingrintended to preventaccidental dislodgment of the block from any one of the pins.

When it is desired to measure the cloth from any particular roll, theVblock 9 is moved upwardly so as to detach the same from the pin uponwhich it is mounted at the time. It is then swung outwardly and is movedvertically adjacent the particular roll from which the cloth is to bedrawn, whereupon it is swung inwardly against the outer face of the wall2 and is dropped into engagement with the supporting pin. The tape 17may then be withdrawn as -the cloth Vis drawn from the roll by holdingthe end of the tape and the corresponding corner of the cloth with onehandand the opposite edge with the other hand. Then the cloth has beenwithdrawn to the desired extent as determined by use of the measuringtape,

. the cloth is severed at the guide bar 5, by

running a knife or other cutting implement along the cloth supported bythe upper active edge 16 of the cutting bar, and the tape'may then beretracted wit-hin its holder `by simply pressing the outer free edge ofthe block inwardly toward the wall of the cabinet, so as to causepressure to be eX-f erted upon the actuating pin 14 by the latter. g

From the foregoing description, taken in? connection withtheaccompanying drawing, it should be apparent that. I have provided ameasuring device which is adapted for use "in connection with a vendingcabinet hav-y ing a plurality of relatively spaced holders for thearticle to be vended, the said measuring device including a single tapeholder which is adapted to be used conveniently in sitions.

connection with any holder in an etlicientmanner and with absoluteaccuracy.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is :v

1. In a device of the `class described, the combination with a support,of a vertical rod mountedthereon in spaced relation thereto,

a holding block mounted upon said rod for vert-ical sliding movement andhorizontal swinging movement thereon, a tape holder carried by saidblock and having a spring retracted measuring tape therein, and aplurality of superimposed, relatively spaced pins providedupon thesupport, each pin being extended laterally therefrom for engagementbeneath the said bloclr to support Vthe same in one of its verticallyadjusted po- 2. In a device of the class described, the combination witha support, of a vertical rod mounted thereon in spaced relation thereto,a holding block mounted upon said rod for vertical sliding movement andhorizontal swinging movement thereon, a tape holder carried by saidblock and having a spring retracted measuring tape therein, a ud aplurality of superimposed, relatively spaced pins provided upon thesupport, each pin being extended late ally therefrom for engagementbeneath the said block to support the same in one of its verticallyadjusted positions, each of said pins having an upturned securingextension upon its outer end for engagement with the outer side face ofthe movable block.

-In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. THOMPSON. Witnesses R. LEE IVHITWELL, lV. F. GREEK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing.the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

